Antenna for automobiles and other vehicles



Nov. 6, 1945. o. E. WAGENKNECHT 2,388,525

ANTENNA FOR AUTOMOBILES AND OTHER VEHICLES Filed Dec 14, 1942 Patented Nov. 6, 1945 ANTENNA'FORAUTOMOBILES AND OTHER.

vnmcrns Otto Wagenlmecht, Zenith Radio Gorpor poration of Illinois Chicago, 111., assisnor to ation, C ca o. 11 a c Application Decemberl l, 1942, Serial No. 468,931 tenants. (01. 250-33) This invention relates to antennas for automobiles and other vehicles and has for its principal object to provide arod antenna which is capable of extending upwardly above an automobile and which can be moved to a stowed but operative position in which theantenna conforms to the general streamlined form of present-day automobiles.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are Set .forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention itseli, both as to its organization and manner of operation, 'together'with further objects-and advantages thereof may'best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connectionwith accompanying drawing inwhich: Y

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of ania tomo bile equipped with an improved antenna, the an tenna being shown in full lines in stowed operative position;

Fig. 2 is a-sectio'nal detail view showing the manner in which the antenna is mounted on the roof of an automobile, the antennabeing erected-position;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the anchor means for stowed operative position: v

:Fig. 4 is a sectional view thereof, the section being taken nthe line 4-4 of Fig. 13; I

Fig.5 is a fragmentary view of *thelower end 01' the antenna. showingthe manner in which the rod -I II, which may suitably be a metal tube which suitably beprovided with a ball' I I.

'Zlheantenna may be of any desired length,'but is preferred that its length 'be such :that

tapers toward-its free end. in such end it may moved rearwardly thereunder;

maintaining -the-free end of the antenna in its free end can be anchored in a position close I to the roof oi-the carasshown-in Fig.1;

The antenna/is secured to the automobile roof preferably at a pointimmediatly above the windshield by means of a base I2 conformed to seat upon the sloping roof. The 'base I2 may be formed of insulating material or 'it may be,

formed of metal, in which case the mounting of the antennathereon is eiiecte diby means'oji suitable insulating elements. The b se ill lilaygbe' secured to the roof I3 of theautomobile in any suitable manner, for example by means of bolts I l..v V

A sleeve or ferrule I5 is mounted on the base I2 so that it projects upwardly. therefrom in the direction which the rod I0 is intended to have whenrit is unstowed, this directionbeing that of the rod III in 'Fig. '2. As shown in that figure, it is preferred that this direction should be upwardly and rearwardly with respect to the horizontal longitudinal direction of the automobile, Withan angle of about 45 .or 50 degrees to the horizontal. The upward end of the sleeve I5 receives the lower end of a closely Wound coil spring I6, the upper end of which is received in a. sleeve or ferrule 28, on the lower end of the rod ID, the spring I6 being firmly anchored to the sleeves I5 and 28m any suitable manner, for example by brazing. The spring I6 is a strong coil spring which normally supports the rod ID in its erected position, Fig. 2. To enhance the action of the spring -I prefer to provide within it a coil spring I7, which is under considerable tension and which has its ends connected to plugs 29 rigidly carried by the sleeves I5 and 28.

The spring I6 and the spring I1 provide for articulation of the rod III relative to the base I2 when the rod III is moved to its stowed position or when the'rod I0 engages an overhead obstruction. Thus; if the rod I0 is in its unstowed position and the automobile is backed out of a garage, the upper end of the rod I0 may engage the lintel of the doorwayand be bent forwardly. The spring I6 will be bent into anarc extending forwardly in the manner shown in Fig. .5. The rod I0 is sufliciently flexible so that it will bend into a forwardly extending arc, but the bending is held within practical limits by the considerable flexure of the spring I6. This spring is also flexed when the rod I0 is moved down to its stowed position and rod I0 is also bent to some extent in its stowed position so that it conforms generally to the streamlined form of the roof of the automobile as shown in Fig. '1.

The rod Illis held in its stowed position by the anchor means I8 shown in detail in Figs. ,3 and 4. This anchor means may suitably be in the form of a block of insulating material mounted on the upper part of the automobile and preferably on the roof thereof ata positionrnear the rear end I 4 of the automobile. The block I8 is provided with rod I downwardly was to position its end within the slot l9. Thereupon the bolt 20 is released and the rod is retained in its bowed position shown in Fig. 1. To erect the rod lfl it is merely neces- U sary to withdraw momentarily 'the'bolt 20 'clear""""' end of said rod antenna on said roof at a point 1n of the slot l9.

It is to be noted that if the rod is in its stowed i position shown in Fig. 1 and the aris backed up so as to bring the bowed rod l0 into contact with an overhead obstruction, the rod |0;w i1l'not be released from the block [8, since the terminal ball I I normally engages this block and prevents 'forward movement of the free end of the rod ID.

The sleeve I5 is connected, withinthegbaseill to the insulated lead-in wire22,"which may extend through an opening 23 in the roof of the automobile.

Since the block I8 is madeof'insulating mate; rial, the antenna isin operative condition both when it is stowed and when it is unstowe'd'. It will, of course, be unde'rstcodthat the antenna is moreefficient when it is in unstowed or erected condition but it is also highly effective in its stowed or down position. Due to the form of the base [2 and the flexibility of the spring l5 and the flexibility ofthe rod [0 itself the greater part of the rod ID in its stowed position is substantially spaced from the roof of the automobile so that;

the capacity of the rod' II] in relation to the roof is low. Thus the rod l0 serves as an emcient antenna in its'stowed position.

It is to be noted 'in Fig. 1 that p 7 antenna, in stowed condition, has a curved forward end which conforms closely to the slope of; the windshield; Furthermore, the free endof the; rod conforms closely to the trailing surface of the;

roof. The curved portion or the rod Illinter the automobile."

My improved antenna; tively long rod l0, and it will appear iromj'ig. 1, that I'may employ a much longer I rodby merely locating the anchor block I8 more rearwardly on the upper surface of the automobile. d V .1 The bolt may be antriatedfroma,remote, position, for example the driversseat, by suitable means. Thus I provide, as shown in Figure .6, a. solenoid 30 adjacent the bolt 20 and arrange thev bolt as a magnetic armature." The arrangement is such that the armature'i'fl is sucked intothe Iranged, to bias the unsupported end of said flexible rod. antenna in a generally upward direction, means for 'releasably latching the unsupported therear ofsaidinounting at a distance less than the'length of said rod antenna whereby said rod antenna-is held',-"when its unsupported end is engaged by saidlatching means, in a bowed position in which capacity between said rod antenna and 'said roof does not seriously reduce the intensity of signals picked up by said rod antenna, said latching means providing insulation betw ek'en said; rodantenna and said roof whereby signals are not short circuited 'therebetwe'en, and 'means' carriedby and operated fro'mwithin said auto-1, mobile for releasing said latch means whereby said antenna may berelejasedito aigenerauyfapf-t ward position for better signal reception during; motion of said automobile. v 1 1 I, A

2. 'In combination, in an {antenna assembi a mounting supported on 'a" vehicle,a' mngne q 71 e rod antenna, means for resiliently supportingone end of said antenna upbri'said' mountingneans mounted on such vehicle at apoint spaced-from;

said mounting for releasably latching down the,

unsupported end of Sfiii nt nnaand means;

carried by and operated'fr om within saidvehicle;

for disengaging said releasable ,latchinggmeans t u e e s miqrt nsmeansrq raise M i ss igal r. ward; dinedion;

3! h m i 9 kwi hfin au omobileii mg W QSP QQ s ag-r99? ext ndin rearwa d-l 1y from the ,upper part of said windshield, pf, an;

v e I v v H insulating antenna mounting supported on a;p0r mediate its ends. provides an enhanced tear drop cor stream-line eeis i ia e f 29951 139 tion of Said qq fi l fi'PbQ-W d hi$ d,1@fl is rod antenna of alength comparable cwithgthe; length of said roof, means; for resilientlyqsupe p r ing one end of sa d; ;9 1;a te na:on.- said I mounting, 'sa'id'res ilient supporting means, bein solenoid 30 when the latter is energized. Such energization is effected by thebattery 3| the automobile which is connected in circuit through the solenoid 30 and a switch'32 on the dashboard oftheautomobile.

It should be understood that'it is within the scope of the invention to utilize either a single flexible metal rod NJ as the antenna proper, or a slidably jointed rod as the "antenna, as is common practice with rod antennas. f l

Although the invention has been described in connection with the specific details of a preferred embodiment thereof, it must be understood that such details are not intended to be' limitative of the invention except in so far as set forth in the accompanying claims. '1'

Iclaim:

arranged to bias the; unsupported end of; said flexible 19d n enn asenera ly upward direcm tion, and saidantennabeing sq constructed-zand. positioned on the automobileas to allow sufiicient.

.. antenna movement to prevent damage to said:

t a h n. th au omo le dr en n th a forwarder reverse directiqn; underan pbstruQ-. tion low enough to engage the antenna when it extends in said upward direction, means-impreleasabl latching thennsupported, end 10f.:$3idi rod antenna on said roof at a-point'ini-the rear of said mountin at a distance;less; than the length of said rod antenna-whereby sai dj rod an:- tenna. is held, when its nnsupported end'js engage'd byv S i a g l ean imabowea o t-.1 5

fion'in which c p i y st'we 'a iam an enna; and said roof doe' s 'not seriously reduce the ;in--; tensity of signals picked up by said rodantenna, said latching' 'means' providing insulation between,-

1 a said rod antennaand said roof whereby signals are not short-circuited there between; said nah ing means including a slotted 'portion disposed longitudinally. or the autoni obile reef, the. wrath; of said slotted portionfbeing larger-than ameter'of saidirod antenna "for said an-,

tenna i'n slidable engagement within said slotted portion when in its bowed position and within which said antenna is allowed to move relative to said roof enough to allow the bowed portion of "the antenna to move closer to the automobile out of harms way when said automobile is driven in either a forward or reverse direction under an obstruction low enough to engage said bowed portion.

4. The combination with an automobile having a multi-positionable antenna, of an insulating antenna mounting supported on a portion of the automobile roof, a flexible rod antenna of a length comparable with the length of said roof, means for supporting one end of said rod antenna on said mounting, said supporting means supporting the unsupported end of said flexible rod antenna in a generally upward direction, an enlargement on the unsupported end of said antenna, and means for insulatingly retaining said enlargement near said roof against movement away from said roof or towards said mounting means, said retaining means having a slotted portion disposed longitudinally of the automobile roof, the width of said slotted portion being larger than the diameter of said rod antenna, means for securing the antenna in sliding engagement in the slotted portion of said retaining means, said retaining means being positioned on said roof at a distance from said supporting means less than the length of said antenna and great enough such that in its retained position said antenna flexes substantially to normally press said enlargement into engagement with said retaining means by flexin of said antenna, and forming a movable bowed portion thereof whereby said antenna slides through said retaining means and said bowed portion moves closer to said roof out of harms way when said automobile passes under an obstruction low enough to engage the bowed portion of the antenna to slide said enlargement a substantial distance away from said retaining means.

OTTO E. WAGENKNECHT. 

